Talk:Mergers and acquisitions

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Arcelor-Mittal

Isn't that the World's biggest merger ever. How come that isn't mentioned here ?

151.200.35.176 16:15, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Great Merger Movement 2 OH MY - Financing M&A 3 Agree - the text isn't fair to the subject 4 Marketplace 5 M&A Resource 6 no need of acquisitions 7 Clean Up Required 7.1 M&A Financing 8 Possible POV

[edit] Great Merger Movement

There is data included: - 1900: value of firms 20% of GDP - 1990: value 3% - 1998-2000: around 10-11% Comments: As far as I know there are no "purchasing" prices available for the year 1900, so all must be based on equity value. That would underestimate the % of GDP!

[edit] OH MY - Financing M&A

So much of this stuff is just plain wrong, I don't know where to begin. The generalizations are very simplistic and are often correct in only specialized settings. Until I or someone else has time to edit, caveat lector. 1Winston 19:24, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

I have tried to rearrange this into something closer to the truth, and so that it is more logical, but there might still be more to do here. The terminology may also be UK-focused, for which I make no attempt to apologise. :) Arthur Markham 18:48, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Agree - the text isn't fair to the subject

I would like to see text on the thinking behind why companies do this, references to famous "cases", references to important literature in the subject.

Opps, there seems there have been a lot of activities here since I last read it. [1]

Any information/study done on social and psychological implications of people laid off by meergers or similar studies?

[edit] Marketplace

There are several marketplaces for M&A transactions. There is one major one that escapes my recollection. The one I can remember is MergerNetwork.com.

[edit] M&A Resource

Where would one find the latest trends / strategies on

[edit] no need of acquisitions

I would like to know some cases where acquisition as a strategy for growth is not feasible. can i get a response at baid_dpk@hotmail.com

[edit] Clean Up Required

There are several mistakes in the already existing article, ex. ChevronTexaco was created in 2001. And there are many mergers left out that need to be recognized, ex. ConocoPhillips, One of the largest companies in the world and its exlcuded. The numbers are also questionable on the merger values. Gunis del 06:07, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] M&A Financing

Can anyone support the statement that cash offers are usually mergers because "shareholders of the target company are removed from the picture"? - This doesn't make sense to me.

• to the best of my knowlege the name of the transaction (merger vs acquisition) has nothing to do with the method of financing. Some view acquisition is a special case of merger - one where a controlling interest is obtained -- see http://www.investorwords.com: merger vs. acquisition. In other cases "acquisition" simply refers to act of gaining some sort of possession (not necessarily a controlling interest) and merger is the result of that acquisition. The term M&A comes from that definition. Firms involved in the process of acquiring (the acquisition) also assist in the definition of the legal and organizational structure of the end product (the merger).

• shareholders are always involved, directly or indirectly. Increases in corporate ownership are always obtained by buying stock, even if it is paid for in cash. The only sometimes exception are LLCs which can function like a cross between a partnership and a corporation. So the only way control can be obtained without purchase of stock on the open market is via a release of treasury shares. However, any significant release that would affect corporate control must be done with board approval. Major shareholders usually have the right to hire and fire a certain number of board positions. In addition, some companies also have covenents that require any action significantly affecting ownership be brought to a shareholder vote.

I'd like to edit the M&A financing section - does anyone object? Egfrank 06:26, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Possible POV

In reading through the list of reasons for a merger or acquisition, I noted that manager hubris was mentioned as a bad reason, but managerial expertise was not mentioned as a good reason. Sometimes a buyer's belief that they can manage company X better than the company's current management team is justified. Egfrank 17:50, 22 March 2007 (UTC)